Council To Vote

On Meter Bids

September 11, 2000

NEW BRITAIN — The city is expected to award the bid to install parking meters to New Britain Fence Co., the lowest bidder at $8,211.

The common council is slated to vote on the final bid at its meeting Wednesday. Thirty-six companies bid on the project, and New Britain Fence's bid came in far below the others. City-based Colossale Concrete bid $48,165, while ADF Industries of Berlin bid $41,743.

The bids were checked for conformance to specifications by the city parking commission, consulting engineer and acting purchasing agent, according to John Jedrzejczyk, city finance director. The city had to rebid the project because the previous bids did not meet installation specifications.

The city plans to install about 350 parking meters -- 20 years after removing meters to help stores hit hard by competition from the then-new Westfarms mall on the West Hartford-Farmington line. Downtown merchants have since complained that the lack of meters has allowed people to park for hours, keeping shoppers from downtown stores.